The present invention relates generally to a method of performing music on an electronic instrument. This invention relates more particularly to a method and an instrument for performing in which individual chords and/or chord notes in a chord progression section can be triggered in real-time. Simultaneously, other notes and/or note groups, such as chord notes, scale notes, and non-scale notes are made available for playing in separate fixed locations on the instrument. All performance data can later be retrieved and performed from one or more fixed locations on the instrument, and from a varied number of input controllers. Multiple instruments of the present invention can also be used together to allow interaction among multiple users during performance, with no knowledge of music theory required. Further, the present invention can allow professional performance with little or no hand movement required, by using one or more performance groups of input controllers efficiently at all times.
A complete electronic musical system should have a means of performing professional music with little or no training, whether live or along with a previously recorded track, while still allowing the highest levels of creativity and interaction to be achieved during a performance.
Methods of performing music on an electronic instrument are known, and may typically be classified in either of three ways: (1) a method in which automatic chord progressions are generated by depression of a key or keys (for example, Cotton Jr., et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,449,437), or by generating a suitable chord progression after a melody is given by a user (for example, Minamitaka, U.S. Pat. No. 5,218,153); (2) a method in which a plurality of note tables is used for MIDI note-identifying information, and is selected in response to a user command (for example, Hotz, U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,738); and (3) a method in which performance of music on an electronic instrument can be automated using an indication system (for example, Shaffer et al. , U.S. Pat. No. 5,266,735).
The first method of musical performance involves generating pre-sequenced or preprogrammed accompaniment. This automatic method of musical performance lacks the creativity necessary to perform music with the freedom and expression of a trained musician. This method dictates a preprogrammed accompaniment without user-selectable modifications in real-time, and is therefore unduly limited.
The second method of musical performance does not allow for all of the various note groups and/or features needed to initiate professional performance, with little or no training. The present invention allows any and all needed performance notes and/or note groups to be generated on-the-fly, providing many advantages. Any note or group of notes can be auto-corrected during a performance according to specific note data or note group data, thus preventing incorrect or xe2x80x9cundesirablexe2x80x9d notes from playing over the various chord and scale changes in the performance. Every possible combination of chord groups, scale note groups, combined scale note groups, non-scale note groups, harmonies/inversions/voicings, note ordering, note group setups, and instrument setups can be generated and made accessible to a user at any time using the present invention. All that is required is the current status messages or other triggers described herein, or various user-selectable input, as described herein. This allows any new musical part to be added to a performance at any time, and these current status messages can also be stored and then transferred between various instruments for virtually unlimited compatibility and flexibility during both composition and performance. The nature of the present invention also allows musically-correct chords, as well as musically-correct individual chord notes, to be performed from the chord section while generating needed data which will be used for further note generation. The present invention achieves the highest levels of flexibility and efficiency in both composition and performance. Further, various indicators described herein which are needed by an untrained user for professional performance, can be easily determined and provided using the present invention. It should be noted that the words xe2x80x9ccompositionxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cperformancexe2x80x9d, as well as various derivatives of these, are at times used interchangeably herein to describe the present invention in order to simplify the description, and at times one of these may include the other.
There are five distinct needs which must be met, before a person with little or no musical training can effectively perform music with total creative control, just as a trained musician would:
(1) A means is needed for assigning a particular section of a musical instrument as a chord progression section in which individual chords and/or chord notes can be triggered in real-time. Further, the instrument should provide a means for dividing this chord progression section into particular song keys, and providing indicators so that a user understands the relative position of the chord in the predetermined song key. Various systems known in the art use a designated chord progression section, but with no allowance for indicating to a user the relative position of a chord regardless of any song key chosen. One of the most basic tools of a performer is the freedom to perform in a selected key, and to perform using specific chord progressions based on the song key. For example, when performing a song in the key of E Major, the musician should be permitted to play a chord progression of 1-4-5-6-2-3, or any other chord progression chosen by the musician. The indicators provided by the present invention can also indicate relative positions in the customary scale and/or customary scale equivalent of a selected song key, thus eliminating the confusion between major song keys, and their relative minor equivalents. Chromatic chords may also be performed at the discretion of a user. Inexperienced performers who use the present invention are made fully aware at all times of what they are actually playing, therefore allowing xe2x80x9cnon-scalexe2x80x9d chromatic chords to be added by choice, not just added unknowingly.
(2) There also remains a need for a musical instrument that provides a user the option to play chords with one or more fingers in the chord progression section as previously described, while the individual notes of the currently triggered chord are simultaneously made available for playing in separate fixed locations on the instrument, and in different octaves. Regardless of the different chords which are being played in the chord progression section, the individual notes of each currently triggered chord can be made available for playing in these same fixed chord location(s) on the instrument in real-time. The fundamental note and the alternate note of the chord can be made available in designated fixed locations for composing purposes, and chord notes can be reconfigured in any way in real-time for virtually unlimited system flexibility during a performance. Providing the fundamental chord note and the alternate chord note in designated fixed locations on the instrument, allows a user to easily compose entire basslines, arpeggios, and specific chord harmonies with no musical training, while maintaining complete creative control.
(3) There also remains a need for a way to trigger chords with one or more fingers in the chord progression section, while scale notes and/or non-scale notes are simultaneously made available for playing in separate fixed locations on the instrument, and in different octaves. There should also be a means of correcting incorrect or xe2x80x9cundesirablexe2x80x9d notes during a performance, while allowing other notes to play through the chord and scale changes in the performance. A variety of different note groups should also be accessible to a user at any time, thus allowing a higher level of performance to be achieved. The methods of the present invention allow virtually any note group or note group combination to be made available to a user at any time during a performance
(4) There also remains a need for a way to trigger chords with one or more fingers in the chord progression section, while the entire chord is simultaneously made available for playing from one or more keys in a separate fixed location, and can be sounded in different octaves when played. A variety of different chord voicings should also be accessible to a user at any time during a performance.
(5) Finally, there needs to be a means for adding to or modifying a composition once a basic chord progression and melody are decided upon and recorded or xe2x80x9cstoredxe2x80x9d by a user. A user with little or no musical training is thus able to add a variety of additional musically correct parts and/or non-scale parts to the composition, to remove portions of the composition that were previously recorded, or to simply modify the composition in accordance with the taste of the musician. The methods of the present invention allow a user access to any note, series of notes, harmonies, note groups, chord voicings, inversions, instrument configurations, etc., thus allowing the highest levels of composition and performance to be achieved.
As previously mentioned, techniques for automating the performance of music on an electronic instrument are well known. They primarily involve the use of indication systems. These indication systems display to a user the notes to play on an instrument in order to achieve the desired performance. These techniques are primarily used as teaching aids of traditional music theory and performance (e.g., Shaffer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,266,735). These current methods provide high tech xe2x80x9ccheat sheetsxe2x80x9d. A user must follow along to an indication system and play all chords, notes, and scales just as a trained musician would. These methods do nothing to actually reduce the demanding physical skills required to perform the music, while still allowing the user to maintain creative control. Other performance techniques known in the art allow a song to be xe2x80x9cstepped throughxe2x80x9d by pressing one or more input controllers multiple times. These techniques are unduly limited in the fact that very little user interaction is achieved. Still, other techniques do employ indication systems to allow a song to be stepped through (i.e. Casio""s xe2x80x9cMagic Light Keyboardxe2x80x9d). These systems are unduly limited in the fact that they provide no means of reducing the complexity of a performance, or of allowing an untrained user to achieve the high levels of creative control and performance as described herein by the present invention (i.e. advanced tempo control, improvisational capability, multiple skill levels, multi-user performance, etc.). The present invention takes into account all of these needs. The present invention allows the number of input controllers needed to effect a given performance to be varied. Indications are used to accomplish this. The methods of the present invention allow a user to improvise in a given performance with complete creative control, and with no training required. Different skill levels may be used to provide different levels of user interaction. The advanced tempo control methods described herein provide a user with complete creative tempo control over a given performance, as well as allow an intended tempo to be indicated to the user. The fixed location methods of the present invention allow all appropriate notes, note groups, one-finger chords, and harmonies to be made available to a user from fixed locations on the instrument during performance. This allows an untrained user to improvise, as well as reduces the amount of physical skill needed to perform music. A user with little or no musical training can effectively perform music while maintaining the high level of creativity and interaction of a trained musician. Increased system flexibility is also provided due to all of the various notes, note groups, setup configurations, modes, etc. that are accessible to a user at any time.
Multiple instruments of the present invention may also be used together to allow professional performance among multiple users. The present invention allows interactive performance among multiple users, with no need for knowledge of music theory. The highest levels of creativity and flexibility are maintained. Users may perform together using instruments connected directly into one other, connected through the use of an external processor or processors, or by using various combinations of these. Multiple users may each select a specific performance part or parts to perform, in order to cumulatively effect an entire performance simultaneously. The fixed location methods of the present invention allow any previously recorded music to be played from a broad range of musical instruments, and with a virtually unlimited number of note groups, note group combinations, etc. being made accessible to a user at any time, and using only one set of recorded triggers.
It is a further object of the present invention to allow an untrained user to perform music professionally, while requiring little or no hand movement. Johnson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,440,071, teaches an instrument which allows untrained users to perform chord notes with reduced hand movement. However, the instrument disclosed requires excessive input controllers in order to initiate a professional chord performance (i.e. such as that which may be required in a song performance, for example). The instrument also lacks many other key elements needed by an untrained user for professional performance. The present invention takes into account all key elements needed by an untrained user for professional performance. The present invention can provide these key elements using a minimal number of input controllers. Input controllers of the present invention are configured into one or more performance groups for providing dramatically reduced hand movement during performance. The performance groups are then used efficiently at all times to allow a user improved access to a variety of different notes and note groups needed to initiate a professional performance. This reduction of input controllers also allows octave shifting to be accomplished conveniently from one designated location per performance group. Up to 5 or more octaves can be performed with little or no hand movement during both song composition and song performance. The present invention allows an untrained user to create professional music with an absolute minimal amount of physical skill being required, while retaining full creative control over the music to be performed.
There currently exists no such adequate means of performing music with little or no musical training. It is therefore an object of the present invention to allow individuals to perform music with reduced physical skill requirements and no need for knowledge of music theory, while still maintaining the highest levels of creativity and flexibility that a trained musician would have. The fixed location methods of the present invention solve these problems while still allowing a user to maintain creative control.
These and other features of the present invention will be apparent to those of skill in the art from a review of the following detailed description, along with the accompanying drawings.